Promises
by turbo denali
Summary: <html><head></head>Korra and Asami take the time to make some promises while Team Avatar is on their way to Laghima's Peak. Written as a missing scene in "Enter the Void." And yes, there's a plot. Kinda. Maybe...</html>


**DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.**

**WARNING: This fic depicts an intimate relationship between two women. And by "intimate relationship between two women" I mean "something so raunchy I'd never show it to my mother because she's a prude and gay sex really confuses her." If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.**

**SPOILER CHECK: This fic is a missing scene from "Enter the Void" (a.k.a. the second-to-last episode of Book 3, a.a.k.a. the episode before we all lose our shit) and takes place between Korra's radio conversation with Zaheer and her arrival at Laghima's Peak.**

**A/N: A huge thank you to those of you who have favorited, followed, and/or reviewed my other fics. This one is for you.**

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The tension in the room was overwhelming. Korra's announcement had been met with some protests - voices carrying dismay and denial - but her words were final. She had spoken as the Avatar, so they would respect her decision even if they didn't like it. A plan was quickly drawn up and Korra retreated to her room, leaving behind a collection of grim faces and heavy hearts. It was as if she simply couldn't bear to see so much sadness and pessimism, mused Asami.

The engineer listened to Korra's fading steps and watched as everyone searched for distractions to fill the rest of the evening. Lin and Suyin remained huddled over the map and hammered out the finer points of the plan in hushed tones. The tactical pair decided it would be best to land the airship before reaching Laghima's Peak and wait for sunrise in order to scout out the surrounding area. Mako listened intently, taking care to point out potential problems, while Bolin busied himself with hunting down sandwich ingredients - to fuel up and go in with a full tank, he'd said. That left Asami standing next to Tonraq, the tall, intimidating chieftain who was clearly torn between respecting the Avatar's wishes and fearing for daughter.

"She's going to be okay," she said, partly to reassure him and mostly to reassure herself.

Tonraq hesitated, then nodded. "We're so proud of her," he said. After a few moments, the corner of his mouth turned up in a wry grin. "She's always been so strong, even as a little girl. You should have seen the look on everyone's face when they found her rolling around in the snow with a polar bear dog. The White Lotus guards thought she was in danger and tried to separate the two. Korra refused to leave Naga behind and insisted on bringing her back to the compound. Put up a real fight over it, too. My tough little girl."

Asami imagined a small, pudgy Korra with her fists on her hips and feet angrily planted on the ground. The image brought a smile to her face. Asami felt a sudden pang and wondered if her own father remembered her so fondly. She pictured him in a cold, poorly-lit cell with nothing but his own rage to keep him company. No, she decided. He probably didn't. She shook her head and studied the toes of her boots.

Tonraq's grin faded. "Well, I guess she's not exactly _little_ anymore," he added wistfully.

Unexpected thoughts of strong shoulders and hands flitted through her mind. Memories of accidental glimpses in the locker room - a rock-solid calf, the gentle curve of a breast. The sounds of hearty laughter and panting while sparring. "She's definitely not little," Asami said, fighting the warmth that spread across her cheeks. "Korra's the strongest person I've ever met, and I don't just mean physically. I know she'll come out of this okay."

Tonraq looked down at her as if seeing her for the first time and Asami suddenly felt very small. After a moment, he tilted his head to the side. "You and Korra have grown pretty close, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I suppose we have."

The chieftain considered this and smiled. "I'm glad."

Asami felt an inexplicable sense of relief. She allowed herself to relax and listened to more about Korra's childhood. Tonraq seemed especially eager to share stories about all of the inventive ways Korra caused trouble at the compound and Asami was content to listen. After a while, a calmness settled around the room and Asami noticed that Mako had already disappeared and Bolin looked to be on the verge of passing out. Tonraq saw this, too, and sighed.

"How long until we reach Laghima's Peak?" he asked Lin.

The metalbender checked a timepiece. "We've been going at three-quarters speed for about two hours," she said.

Asami did some quick calculations in her head. "We'll probably drop down to quarter-speed soon." She noted the questioning look on Tonraq's face. "The air is cooler and denser at night, so the propellers don't have to work as hard. Plus, it saves wear on the engines and we'll have an easier time coping for decreased visibility. It's just safer this way," she explained.

"Ah."

"So I'd say we have another four to six hours, depending on the wind speed on the other side of the mountains," said Asami.

Tonraq slapped his hands on his knees. "Right, then. Sounds like it's time to get some sleep."

There was some grumbling, but no complaints. No one really expected to be able to sleep - except perhaps Bolin - but Tonraq had a point. Might as well try to get some rest. Asami broke away from the group and stopped by the control room to check on the crew one last time. Satisfied that the minimal night shift had everything covered, Asami wished them a good evening and headed for her room. Once halfway down the hall, however, she gave into the urge to check in on Korra.

Asami paused at Korra's room and knocked softly. A muffled "come in" reached her ears. She opened the door and slipped inside. She wasn't surprised by what she found. The room was a standard passenger cabin, occupied only by a bed, chair, waist-high dresser, and a contemplative Avatar. Korra was perched on the chair, her face barely lit by the fading light of a sunset in its final moments. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and her arms rested lightly on her knees. Asami couldn't tell how long she'd been sitting there, but she knew it was safe to bet Korra had probably been like that since retreating to her room. She noted that the young Avatar had positioned the chair near the only window so that she could see the rippling terrain below. Asami almost smiled. It was such a Korra thing to do, she thought.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," Korra echoed. "What's up? Something wrong?"

Asami shook her head and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I just thought I'd stop by and say hello. I don't expect to get much sleep and I figured you would probably be in the same boat."

Korra smiled and relaxed slightly. "Yeah, I'm not feeling very tired."

"Besides, your dad told me a few… interesting stories. I thought I'd give you the chance to tell your side and clear your name," Asami teased.

Korra rolled her eyes, feigning irritation. The two of them laughed and Asami listened as Korra talked about her time in the compound. Asami watched tension slowly melt from Korra's shoulders as she began to relax. She found herself following the lines of muscle in Korra's arms every time she gestured to emphasize certain points in her stories. The room quickly darkened as night fell and the moon glowed softly from behind a cloud. Yet even in the limited light, she could make out the glint of blue eyes and outline of strong cheekbones.

Asami realized she'd been caught staring when Korra cleared her throat and swept her loose bangs off to the side. The nervous gesture surprised Asami and she briefly wondered how much Korra really noticed. Sure, there were times when their interactions came awfully close to flirting, but Asami could never tell whether or not the sheltered young woman was aware of it. Korra's body language was naturally assertive and forward, making it difficult to know what was friendly and what was flirtatious. Asami, for her part, was always careful to tread that fine line between the platonic and non-platonic. But as Korra shyly averted her gaze and pretended not to notice the older woman's embarrassment, a hopeful feeling fluttered in Asami's chest. She realized then how terrified she was by the thought of losing Korra to Zaheer.

"Asami…"

Asami quickly leaned forward and grabbed Korra's hand. "Promise me that you'll do whatever you can to make it out of there."

Korra frowned. "I made a deal with Zaheer. I turn myself over to the Red Lotus and the airbenders go free. I can't risk endangering them."

"I know. I wouldn't ask you to. Just promise me that you'll make a break for it as soon as we have Tenzin and everyone else." The sound of desperation in her own voice caught Asami off guard. She tightened her grip.

"Asami, I-"

"Promise me, Korra!" Asami blinked away the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. "Please," she said softly.

Korra studied her for a moment and allowed herself a sad smile. "I promise." She stood and leaned against to the wall. After a moment, she glanced back over at Asami. "But I'm going to need you to promise something, too."

"Sure."

"Promise me that you won't take any unnecessary risks tomorrow. Get the airbenders and get out."

"I promise."

"And if I don't make it back, don't come after me."

Asami scoffed at that. "You really think we won't fight to get you back?"

"It's not safe, Asami. You've seen what these guys can do. They won't hesitate to kill you or anyone else if you get in their way."

The engineer stood and closed the gap between them until she was almost toe-to-toe with Korra. "I won't make a promise I can't keep," she said.

Korra frowned. "And I refuse to lose anyone I care about to the Red Lotus."

Asami remained silent. Korra had to tilt her head slightly to lock eyes with her. When she finally did, Asami saw the storm of emotions on her face. Anger. Sadness. Frustration. Concern. Love. Wordlessly, Asami reached for Korra and leaned in. Her lips brushed gently - hesitantly - against Korra's. Once. Then a second time. By the third time, Korra's hands were in Asami's hair and she took control of the kiss. Asami could almost taste her eagerness and she moaned into her mouth when Korra wrapped an arm around her waist to hold the taller woman flush against her own body.

Hands roamed and clothes fell. When Asami felt her bra leave her shoulders, she realized she was almost entirely naked while Korra's pants and undergarments remained untouched. She mumbled something along the lines of "no fair," which was promptly forgotten when Korra effortlessly lifted her and set her down on the nearby dresser. She wrapped her arms around Korra's shoulders and released her hair from its restraints. Korra appeared not to notice and let her lips drift from Asami's mouth down to her collar bone. A gasp escaped her when those same lips moved down to her breasts and she arched into Korra's mouth. The younger woman's hands never stopped moving and eventually she hooked her fingers around the waistband of Asami's last article of clothing. Asami watched with amusement as her panties flew across the room and disappeared into the darkness.

Korra's exploration continued with a sense of deliberate control despite being a bit hurried. Asami began to suspect that Korra had left out a few stories about her time in the White Lotus compound. Her head fell back against the wall with a thud and a moan when Korra continued her downward journey, shifted to use her shoulders to lift Asami's thighs and paused teasingly before she moved on and - oh, yes - she was _definitely_ leaving out some stories. She clutched at Korra's arm with one hand and buried her other in Korra's thick, chestnut-colored hair. Somehow, between the clutching and the moaning, Korra managed to lace her fingers through the engineer's and held on tightly.

Asami's release took her by surprise. She felt none of the usual warnings before everything came crashing down and her mouth fell open in a noiseless cry. She blinked hard and willed her heart rate to slow down, but the sight of Korra's smug grin as she wiped her chin made that impossible. Her eyes drifted down to Korra's waist. The pants, Asami decided, really must go. First the pants, then that damn chest wrap.

Lips met once more and Asami pushed herself off the dresser. She hastily removed the bender's pants and nearly tore at her traditional underwraps. She turned towards the bed and gave her a gentle shove, smiling when Korra let herself fall back onto the mattress. Korra's smirk faded and Asami could feel her watching as her own eyes wandered over newly exposed skin. Moonlight spilled over her body like an intangible blanket, giving her an unearthly glow and highlighting the definition in her stomach and thighs. A sudden tightness seized Asami's chest and she wished they had the time to do this properly - time to lock the door and get lost in one other, hide away from the world, and not have to worry about the fact that they might not see each other again.

Korra seemed to read her mind. "Hey," she said. "None of that right now. No thinking about tomorrow."

Asami nodded. She took the hand Korra offered and let herself be pulled onto the bed. She settled herself on top and slipped a knee between Korra's legs. Even the slightest movement brought Korra's hips off the bed and Asami delighted in the reaction she earned. She set about memorizing each freckle and scar. The promises she couldn't speak were written out in featherlight touches and earnest kisses. The promises she made were those that Korra did not want to hear.

_I will make sure you come home with us._

_I will chase after you._

_I won't lose you._

Later, when the airship began to slow down as the crew looked for a safe place to anchor the ship, Asami propped herself up on one elbow and watched the moon climb higher into the sky. She sighed and settled back into her pillow, smiling when the softly snoring Avatar automatically shifted to drape an arm around her waist and snuggle closer. Asami buried her face into Korra's shoulder and breathed in her scent, begging herself to forget that morning was only hours away.

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**A/N: To my fellow LGBTQ folks… high five, my friends. High freakin' five.**

**Also, I promise that not all of my fics will be angsty Korrasami stuff. I'm going to throw in some fluffy, non-Korrasami stuff out there sometime in the near future just to shake things up a bit.**


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